With Carrier trip, Trump embraces theater of the presidency

The president-elect is flying to Indiana on Thursday for an event with officials from Carrier Corp., which is keeping about 1,000 jobs in the U.S. instead of moving them to Mexico. In doing so, he's showing an early deftness for the way the theater of the presidency can be used to shape perceptions of those who occupy the Oval Office.

Trump to take victory lap at factory, rally

In this Nov. 19, 2016, file photo, President-elect Donald Trump gives the thumbs-up as he arrive at the Trump National Golf Club Bedminster clubhouse in Bedminster, N.J. Trump, ethics attorneys and good-government groups are all grappling with how to navigate being a president with extraordinary international and domestic business ties. While others in government are bound by rules and regulations about their business ties, the president has fewer such restrictions.

EDITORIAL: Is Trump’s vow to refrain from meddling with Medicare to be trusted?

One of the great challenges experienced by both the press and at least some of the public in understanding Donald Trump is caught up in what his defenders often cite: The press during the long campaign made the mistake of taking Trump literally but not seriously, while Trump's many followers took him seriously but not literally. So how does all that work out regarding the president-elect's stand on Medicare? During the campaign, Trump made a point of vowing that he would keep his hands off both Medicare and Social Security.

Timeline of planned Carrier factory closing in Indiana

President-elect Donald Trump is set on Thursday to trumpet a deal with furnace and air conditioner manufacturer Carrier Corp. that would reduce the planned 1,400 job cuts at an Indianapolis factory that became a political cause during the presidential campaign. Feb. 10: Company officials announce plans to shutter the Indianapolis factory, along with a 700-worker factory in the northeastern Indiana city of Huntington that is also owned by Carrier parent company United Technologies Corp. of Hartford, Connecticut.

Congress sends legislation honoring WWII spies to Obama

Congress is sending President Barack Obama legislation to give the Congressional Gold Medal to World War II spies who served behind enemy lines in Nazi Germany and the Pacific theater. The Office of Strategic Services was formed in 1942 and at one point employed almost 13,000 men and women recruited from all branches of the military.

Graham Writing Bill to Protect Dreamers

Sen. Lindsey Graham is readying legislation that would extend legal protections for previously undocumented immigrants who came here as children -- benefits granted under a 2012 directive from President Barack Obama that are at risk with the incoming Trump administration. On the campaign trail, Donald Trump vowed to revoke Obama's executive actions on immigration, including one that has shielded more than 740,000 young undocumented immigrants from being deported and gave them permits to work legally.

Just one Trump transition aide for U.S. spy agencies: officials

Only one member of President-elect Donald Trump's transition team is dealing with the CIA and the 16 other offices and agencies that make up the U.S. intelligence community, four U.S. officials said Wednesday. Geoffrey Kahn, a former House intelligence committee staffer, is the only person named so far to Trump's intelligence community "landing team," they said.

Carrier: Trump deal doesn’t diminish ‘our belief in the benefits of free trade’

In a statement , Carrier did not provide further details of the deal, but said incentives offered by Indiana were an "important consideration" in the decision to keep production - and about 1,000 jobs - in the state. "We are announcing today that Carrier will continue to manufacture gas furnaces in Indianapolis, in addition to retaining engineering and headquarters staff, preserving more than 1,000 jobs," the company said in a statement.

Lawsuits challenge abortion restrictions in 3 states

Taking the offensive after Election Day setbacks, Planned Parenthood and its allies filed lawsuits Wednesday in North Carolina, Missouri and Alaska challenging laws that they view as unconstitutional restrictions on abortion. "We are going to fight back state by state and law by law until every person has the right to pursue the life they want, including the right to decide to end a pregnancy," said Planned Parenthood's chief medical officer, Dr. Raegan McDonald-Mosley.

Jeh Johnson gives Michael McCaul vote of confidence on border security

Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson gave one of his potential successors a stamp of approval on Wednesday, saying Rep. Michael McCaul is the strongest member of Congress when it comes to border security. Mr. Johnson and Mr. McCaul were responding to criticisms reported in The Washington Times from advocates for stricter enforcement of immigration laws who said they hoped President-elect Donald Trump picked someone else to be homeland security chief.

Rick Scott’s troubled jobs agency taps former Tampa rep as new leader

There is a new leader for the agency Gov. Rick Scott has most relied on to achieve his job creation campaign promises, but turmoil from the previous leader continues to grow. Enterprise Florida agreed on Wednesday - with Scott in attendance during the entire two-hour meeting - to hire former Tampa state Rep. Chris Hart IV to run the embattled quasi-governmental agency that oversees the recruiting of businesses to relocate to Florida.

Fannie, Freddie should exit government grip, Mnuchin says

Steven Mnuchin, president-elect Donald Trump's nominee to be treasury secretary, said Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac should leave government control and that the incoming administration "will get it done reasonably fast." The comments, which came in an interview on Fox Business, sent shares of the mortgage-finance giants soaring Wednesday.

How did Trump, Pence rescue 1,000 jobs at Carrier?

"Has Donald Trump kept one of his campaign promises to Indiana?" asked WRTV in Indianapolis last night after word broke that Carrier would keep 1,000 jobs in place rather than send them to Monterrey, Mexico. The major manufacturer had planned to close out 1,400 positions, and workers had hoped that Trump and his running mate Mike Pence could act quickly to save as many of them as possible.

Trump transition points toward presidency with new norms

In this Oct. 19, 2016 file photo, Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump speaks during the third presidential debate with Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton at UNLV in Las Vegas. Trump, that most unconventional of presidential candidates, last spring pledged that he would act perfectly presidential when the time was right.

Trump tapping Washington, Wall Street veterans for top jobs

Steven Mnuchin, national finance chairman of President-elect Donald Trump's campaign, walks to lunch at Trump Tower, Tuesday, Nov. 29, 2016, in New York. Steven Mnuchin, national finance chairman of President-elect Donald Trump's campaign, walks to lunch at Trump Tower, Tuesday, Nov. 29, 2016, in New York.